DSP ‘thrashes’ woman, driver

Published December 3, 2006

MULTAN, Dec 2: Multan police reportedly thrashed a woman associated with an NGO and her driver at a police check post on Shujaabad Road near Shishawali Masjid, Shahabad.

Ayesha Hussain, a programme coordinator of Pattan, said that she was going to Jalalpur Pirwala from Multan when police stopped her vehicle. She said that she found some people were being meted out rough treatment there as they were forced to squat on their haunches. Shujabad DSP warned her not to interfere in the matter, when she asked the police to leave the people. On her repeated requests, the DIG fell into a rage and thrashed her and the driver. She alleged that the DSP had also threatened to kill both of us in an encounter. She claimed that the DSP slapped her across the face repeatedly while other policemen beat her driver badly.

When contacted, DSP Athar Farooq denied that he had slapped the woman across the face or the policemen thrashed her driver.

He said the police were stopping vehicles to disallow their entry into the town because of the PPP rally. He claimed that the woman had insisted the police to allow the entry of all vehicles.

Multan ASP Fayyaz Ahmed said the woman and her driver were never beaten up, but an inquiry could be conducted on the written complaint of the woman to the police high-ups.